1. Field of the Invention
The invention is a method for providing chemotherapy transdermally and a therapeutic system in the form of a bandage structured specifically to carry out the method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are several patents that relate to bandages for administering systemic drugs transdermally. In this regard, U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,494 is believed to be the most relevant to the present invention. FIG. 2 of that patent shows a bandage that includes the basic elements of the invention bandage. Indeed, the invention bandage is considered to be a patentable embodiment of the bandage depicted in said FIG. 2. Both bandages are laminates that include a backing, a drug reservoir, a microporous membrane and a contact adhesive layer. However, the patented bandage is designed to administer drug at a constant rate; whereas the invention bandage is designed to administer drugs meeting certain criteria on a two phase program involving an initial or priming dose phase followed by a constant rate administration phase. In this regard, drug is present in the invention bandage in specific proportions in the contact adhesive layer as well as in the reservoir.